Ryan was just 6-of-15 from the floor in the game, but delivered on a perfect 14-of-14 from the free-throw line for Evansville (7-5, 2-0 MVC) which won its third straight game. Joining Ryan in double figures were Denver Holmes and Kenny Harris, with 16 and 11 points, respectively.

Seth Tuttle led the way for Northern Iowa (10-4, 0-2) with a double-double consisting of 16 points and 10 rebounds. Marc Sonnen and Deon Mitchell added 14 points apiece for the Panthers, who dropped their third consecutive decision.

The Panthers jumped on top early, using a 22-8 run to take control in the first half, but the Purple Aces starting chipping away and trailed just 27-21 at the intermission. Evansville shot 36.4 percent from the floor in the first half, compared to a 41.7 percent clip for the hometown Panthers.

Evansville found its range in the second half however, delivering on an impressive 57.7 percent from the floor and a flawless 21-of-21 from the free- throw line to remain unbeaten in conference play.

Evansville forced 19 NIU turnovers, converting those miscues into 23 points. The Purple Aces took advantage of their trips to the free-throw line, knocking down 24-of-26 attempts, compared to a 13-of-23 effort by the Panthers.